US terminates 22 mRNA vaccine contracts, about $500M cut

Health and human services officials announced that 22 federal contracts funding mRNA vaccine development will be terminated, wiping nearly $500 million from ongoing efforts to combat respiratory infections such as COVID-19 and the flu. The move, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., signals a dramatic shift in the government’s approach to pandemic preparedness and vaccine research, as the administration grounds its rationale in a re-evaluation of the data and a pivot toward alternative vaccine platforms.

The terminations affect a broad slate of programs, including projects tied to developing mRNA vaccines against seasonal flu and other pathogens, as well as a bird flu initiative. Some late-stage investments were explicitly spared to preserve prior taxpayer investments. The department stressed that other uses of mRNA technology within the agency would proceed unaffected, and it described the decision as a strategic reallocation rather than a rejection of the entire platform. Kennedy described the action as part of a careful review of the science and a move toward safer, broader solutions, including platforms that remain effective as viruses mutate.